You don’t really need a reason to visit Wakehurst in West Sussex. It’s a beautiful place to spend time at any time of the year but if you love a bit of creativity and sculpture served up with your nature, then head to Wakehurst now!
Rooted at Wakehurst
Rooted is a celebration of the “world’s most recognisable and loved plants – trees”. Wakehust has teamed up with some interesting artists to create outdoor installations around the grounds. There are eight in total that talk of the power of trees and woodland. The installations are diverse and include a sonic woodland where you can lie in a hammock and soak up the sounds and the Glowing Canopies which the artist describes as a “clash of high art and popular culture, an eclectic mix of art and activism”.
You can read up about them in advance or just discover them as you follow the trail and give them your own interpretation. Alongside the art installations, there is also a new trail of striking scorched monoliths, formed from trees felled as a result of the fungal tree disease, ash dieback.
Wild Wood
Another new trail is the sculpture trail in Pearcelands Wood. Here, coppiced hazel has been used to create a natural gallery of hand-woven structures from oversized chairs to native favorites such as deer and badgers.
It’s fun but it’s also clever and rather beautiful and poignant. Pearcelands Wood is a 20-acre ancient woodland that is reopening to the public for the first time in three years.
Planet Wakehurst
If you’ve ever been to Glow Wild, you’ll have seen how the clever folk at Wakehurt illuminate the mansion house. This summer they’ve gone a step further as the house is currently home to the UK’s largest outdoor art installation. Whilst the mansion is undergoing an extensive roof restoration, they have commissioned the creation of Planet Wakehurst, a bespoke photo montage from Australian-born artist Catherine Nelson.
It uses photography of plants from across their 535-acre site beamed across the facade in an impressive display! And you can now also do a Canopy Walk and look down on the mansion lawns from 33ft up above. NB: Access to the Canopy Walk will involve a climb of 66 steps over seven flights, with rest areas in between. Children must be supervised.
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